The Remnant
Below is an account from private Soujiano of the 11th Battalion It had been nothing more than three hours after our clash with the dobosu. Blood still trickled off our weapons feeding the ground as it hungrily lapped up every drop from our weapons; our own soldiers and that of the enemies. Fires cracked and popped, shedding just a little bit of light onto what seemed to be an endless void. I could barely make out the trees from where I sat. Despite the fires dancing around, trying to fight back the ever-growing shadows, it did nothing to settle our nerves, the night had come and with it an even greater threat of an ambush. With shaking hands, I moved them down to the clear metal surface of the blade, hoping to find a little bit of comfort knowing my weapon was close. As I moved my hand to begin my weapon’s maintenance there was a loud crack, almost like a twig or branch snapping. It shattered through the silence. All of us were on our feet within seconds. Our backs to each other, trying to make out the faintest thing we could in this dark light cast by this infernal forest. Again, another crack setting us closer to edge, I could feel my own heartbeat throbbing in my ears as I strained to hear something, to see anything… but… nothing. We felt, well I guess you could call it the closest thing to relief leave our bodies, our muscles felt tired and my arms sank lower. My eyes moved towards our only light source, the fire that continued to dance around as if nothing in the world could stop it from its hypnotic dance to defy the shadows. It became apparent to all of us that there was going to be very little rest tonight. Yet despite that, all but me and a comrade fell into a great slumber. I stayed near the edge of the camp, still in the protective glow of the flame that sent up sparks to the sky, yet its dance had begun to slow as its hunger grew. As I sat there it felt as if my own eyes were beginning to betray me as my body began to grow in weight. As I was on that border of sleep a chill ran down my spine. As if icy water had been sent down my back. I was awake. Alert. Again the beat of my heart began to move it was as if it were threatening to burst as it hammered against my ribcage, screaming at me to move. Yet my head prevailed as I remained perfectly still. It was almost as if I were a statue, it was strange, that feeling of something watching you. I thought I was just on overdrive, whilst the heat of battle seared through my vein. Yet I knew something was there, I couldn’t quite make it out as it was just sitting there, resting in the corner of my eye. This blur, I doubt anyone could have made it out. I tried to turn my head but it felt stiff as a brick, why couldn’t I turn to look at this? Was my body trying to save me or was this fear creeping up around me, clutching my head and forcing it forward whilst this feeling began to torment me. I could feel sweat begin to pour down my forehead, moving down across my nose and hitting the fabric below, still motionless… I just couldn’t look at it, whatever it was it just hadn’t moved and it was there… still there. A force on my shoulder snapped me out of my daze and with a whip like motion I brandished the sword out to strike at it. Yet it was just one of the camp. I could feel the cold sweat clinging the clothes around my body, they said it looked like I had seen a ghost or something. My eyes, whilst I laughed, darted instantly towards the area I swore this blur was resting, yet nothing it was just this strange looking tree. It surprised me to see that the camp was awake, let alone that day break had come, how long had I been sitting there? As I donned my armour and supplies, we made to break camp yet something brought me to a stop, it was there again… just waiting there in the corner of my eye hiding out of my view. This was no better than the last, in fact it was worse, the battle raged on for most of the time and even when we could rest I felt this piercing gaze of something watching me. just studying me from afar as if it were an animal hunting down its wounded prey. The night was not much better, I was dragged to stay awake for a second night by this cracking sound, it was like the trees were moving or something. It happened every few seconds just the faintest snap of a twig that drove my senses back up to eleven. I could still see it though, it moved occasionally but it was always there… just resting out of my view and fear gripped me once again, no one else seemed bothered by this. It was idiotic must be some Dobuso or… or a prank. With a quiet laugh, I shrugged it off and found a little rest. Even then though, it… was almost as if it were standing over me, staring down at me, I couldn’t move as it got closer, stepping over the fire heading over to me, snuffing out the flames. Without sight, I had no idea where it could be exactly, but I knew it was close… so close that cracking sound echoed through my head but it was more, faster it was as If it were releasing this low groan. With a scream I awoke, and with me, the rest of the camp. Even though I said I was fine, I could see in their eyes they were beginning to worry, it wasn’t uncommon for a soldier to lose their sense of reality with the horrors we’ve seen. The faint buzzing never left my head, and it only grew worse no longer would it keep its distance, no matter where I went I felt… watched. That cracking sound only growing in volume, twigs broken, whenever I whipped around it was just gone, nothing only to return to its position right there. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I heard we were leaving his forsaken place. “Knew him, sure I did, he seemed like a great guy, but he was never the same after Nightvern, kept on looking over his shoulder, set the rest of the camp on edge too. What happened? Well he began to mutter to himself in his sleep, then this stretched to day he kept on talking to himself, jabbering. We thought it was shock, simple as. Yet one day he just seemed to snap he was screaming at well what was our commander to leave him alone, to stop staring. Swung his sword right at the commander, of course it ended with his death. He seemed... well I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so relieved. We found his story in his journal, we all keep one kind of a stress relief. It’s weird man… hehe… it’s almost like I can hear twigs breaking myself.”